Kitsuneken of the Leaf
by chaosakatsuki
Summary: Naruto learns the Bushido way shortly before entering the Academy. Deciding to blend the two style of Bushido and Nindo, watch as the boy becomes the Legendary Kitsuneken of the Leaf.
1. Of Rejection and Samurai

Naruto Uzumaki is walking down the streets of Konohagakure, tears streaming down his face. He had tried to go to the playground, but was chased out when the parents recognized who he was. He watches a family stepping out of an ice cream shop and his feelings of loneliness multiply. Which brought back the question that repeated itself in his head. _Why? Why won't the teachers help me? Why is everyone so cold to me? Why do they call me a monster? I'm not… am I? I just wanted to play with the other kids…_

The sound of glass crashing brings Naruto out of his thoughts. Across the street, he sees a man sprawled out in the mud in front of a bar. A ninja yells, "And stay out!! We're a ninja village, you aren't welcome here, Ronin!" The people in the bar give raucous calls in support.

The man on the street staggers drunkenly to his feet where Naruto gets a better look at him. Dressed in a worn brown cloak, the man has a large sword on his waist along with two small scrolls and a miniature crossbow. He is covered in armor, as opposed to the outfits ninja wear around the village. As the man straightens up and Naruto gets a good look at his face, Naruto observes that the man's long white hair is done up in a ponytail, and his face is lined with scars as well as a long white beard. _He doesn't look a villager or a ninja… and what's a ronin?_

The man gives the bar one last look, flipping them off before turning and walking toward the outside of the forested training areas. Naruto looks around at the villagers, recognizing the looks they give the samurai. _He's like me. They look at him with the same eyes that they have when they look at me_. Fascinated, Naruto follows the man, unaware that four others are doing the same.

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The samurai walks through the forest, aware that he is being followed. Despite his drunken act earlier, he hadn't gotten a chance to consume any alcohol before he was thrown out of that bar. His stalker displayed the worst ninja skills he's ever known as he could hear feet crashing through the brush for the past few minutes. He guesses by the amount of chakra he senses that it must be at least a Chunin-level ninja.

He walks out into the middle of a clearing, and places his hand on his katana. "Well, come on out and face me, you clumsy ninja."

---------------------------------

Naruto's head moves left and right, looking for the ninja to whom the man was speaking. When no one answers, he steps out from behind the tree and asks, "Are you talking to me?"

The samurai is shocked. _That kid can't be older than 5 years old! He's the source of the chakra I sensed? _He lets his hands relax, drifting to his sides. He calls out with a slight smirk, "Why are you following me, kid? Do your parents know where you are?"

Naruto's eyes study the floor. "I don't have any parents," he says quietly.

"Oh come on kid, you have to have parents. Who lives with you?"

"I... live by myself..." That shuts the samurai up. He wasn't expecting that. "No one would take me in while I lived in the orphanage," Naruto sniffs, managing to hold in his tears. The samurai sizes the boy up again. _Well, well, this boy's lived a tough life. Not that it's my problem, though… _He fights down the feeling that if he asks more questions, he would regret it. In a softer voice, "Why were you following me, kid?"

"…You're like me," Naruto whispers, looking directly into the samurai's eyes. The samurai feels as if he can't tear his eyes away from those cerulean orbs. Naruto takes the silence as a sign to continue, explaining, "They look at you the same way they look at me. And those men in the bar…. They said they didn't want you here. The villagers treat me the same…" His voice trails off.

The samurai studies the kid intently before snorting. "Look, what do you want with me? The people in this village have a reason to hate me, and I'm sure you're exaggerating in how they treat…" He was interrupted.

"No, they really hate me. They call me 'demon' or 'monster' and chase me away from the park. I don't know why, but they won't even talk to me anymore. I have no friends… " Naruto looked up, his eyes pleading, "I just want a friend."

The samurai averts his gaze from Naruto's eyes. "Look kid, I'm a Ronin. I'm just passing through this village because I don't have a place to stay, and I can't be your friend because I'm heading out of here. I only stopped at that bar for a drink." _Damn it, he reminds me of Kenji… damnit I can't get too attached to him, they're different people._

Naruto sniffles for a moment, the word "ronin" echoing in his head. He remembers the villagers calling him a "ronin" earlier. Inspired, he decides to lead the conversation away from the samurai leaving. _I can't let him leave yet…_ "What does Ronin mean, mister?" Naruto asks.

The samurai groans, guessing why Naruto tried to change the subject. "Oh come on, don't you learn that at school? I know we aren't common in hidden villages like Konohagakure, but I thought they'd mention us in your history classes."

"The teachers at the academy don't teach me anything… they're the same as the villagers," Naruto says.

_Damn, what in the world does this kid have to put up with_? "Well kid, a ronin is a wandering samurai without a lord. In your village, I suppose it would be like a ninja without a Kage. I have no place to stay, and no job to do; essentially, I'm a merce -" The samurai trails off as he senses 3 new chakra signatures close by, as well as the rise in killing intent. _How did they get so close without me realizing? Kuso, they must have been suppressing their chakra this whole time. _Naruto flinches, shivering as the wave of killing intent hits him.

"Get behind me, kid," orders the samurai, placing his hand back on his sword, facing where the chakra signatures are approaching. "Who're you bastards?" Three ninja step out from behind the trees. _Damn, that flak vest confirms it, they're all Chunin. I can take them, but I can't defend the kid at the same time._

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" asks the first Chunin.

"Looks like we get to take care of two problems instead of just one. A drunk samurai and the demon brat." the second Chunin adds, grinning maliciously. The third simply glares at Naruto, not even looking at the samurai.

The samurai grasps his katana. "Run, kid" He whispers to Naruto. Naruto stares at the samurai's back. The samurai then leaps forward past the first Chunin, drawing his katana and slicing. **"Battojutsu: Taka Suraisu**!!" the samurai cries. A slice appears across the first Chunin's flak vest, blood flowing freely. "NOW!!" the samurai yells.

Naruto turns around and runs away through the forest. The samurai assumes a stance, holding his bloody katana in front of him. "Come on then, you ninja bastards,"

The second Chunin exchanges glances with the third, "I'll take care of this ronin, you take care of the demon." The third Chunin nods and runs after Naruto. The second Chunin draws a kunai and throws shuriken, cursing as the samurai deflects them with his katana. "Kuso, this will take longer than I thought."

The samurai charges, swiftly swinging his katana with grace and force, the ninja only barely blocking with his kunai. The ninja kicks the samurai away, wincing as his foot comes in contact with the samurai's armor, and charges the samurai. The Samurai smirks and raises his katana angling in for the kill.

---------------------------

Neither of them notice as a masked figure passes over them, running through the trees in the direction that Naruto went.

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Hiding behind a tree, Naruto pants from running. He is worried about the Samurai, and doesn't want him to be killed by the Chunin.

"Boo," whispers a voice above Naruto. Freezing and looking up, Naruto sees the 3rd Chunin. He backs away from the tree, tripping over a root as the Chunin jumps down from the tree. He pulls out a kunai, whispering "This is for my father, and everyone who you killed 5 years ago, you demon."

Naruto is scared for his life, knowing that the Chunin means to kill him. Naruto remembers how the samurai acted when defending Naruto, and is filled with courage. He defiantly yells at the Chunin, "I didn't kill anyone, you… you BASTARD."

The Chunin's eyes widen in anger, and he rushes forward, slicing with his kunai. Naruto closes his eyes and yells "HELP!" He hears the sound of someone being hit into a tree and opens his eyes. A short young ninja stands in front of him with 2 Shuriken in his hand; the Chunin is knocked against a tree across from him. The Chunin smirks and says, "Since when is ANBU hiring children, kiddo?"

The ANBU says nothing, and throws the Shuriken at the Chunin. The Chunin doesn't even move, laughing. "You should've stayed at the Academy to work on target practice mor-" The Chunin is cut off as the invisible wires attached to the shuriken wrap around him and tie him against the tree, pinning him to the tree. The Chunin struggles against his bonds, watching as the ANBU forms hand seals. "Silence, Chunin-san. Katon: Gokayuu no jutsu. " The Chunin screams as the fireball engulfs him, burning him alive. All he can see is the ANBU's mask as he slowly burns. The Weasel.

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Naruto looks on in surprise as the Chunin screams and passes out without the ANBU doing anything. The ANBU turns around, seeing Naruto's expression, and says, "Calm down, Naruto-kun, I'm not going to hurt you. I only used a Genjutsu, an illusion, on him."

Naruto is shivering in fear, but the fear seems to slip out of his body as he stares at the ANBU's mask, and he calms down. He stands up and says, "Thanks a lot, Weasel-guy." The ANBU starts and chuckles.

Suddenly, the samurai rushes in, looking about for Naruto. Seeing Naruto safe, he notices the ANBU. _What is he….13 or 14? Jeez, what is it with this village and really strong kids? _He glares at the ANBU. "You aren't here to kill the kid, are you, ANBU?"

The ANBU shakes his head. "I'm here to escort Naruto to see the Hokage. And now that I think about it, you'll be coming too, Ronin-san."

The samurai snorts, "You think you can order me around, ANBU? I'm a ronin, I don't answer to the Daimyo or your Hokage."

"No, you don't, Ronin-san. However, you did kill two Chunin of the Leaf, so unless you'd like to fight off the hunter-nins around us, I highly recommend that you come with us."

"Don't worry, Jiji is a good guy, mister…" Naruto adds, realizing that he doesn't know the samurai's name.

The samurai stares at Naruto for a second, before chuckling. _Jiji, eh? And the Hokage tolerates being called that? Heh, this kid is interesting… not that I care, of course. _"Call me Koken, kid. Koken Minamoto." The samurai smiles reluctantly. _I'd better be careful, I think I'm getting fond of him_.

"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" says Naruto with a grin.

"Let's go then," says the ANBU.


	2. I Wanna Hire You For A Job!

Hi everyone, thank you for the support and reviews. A big thank you to **Jaxley** for betaing this chapter.

Response to Reviews:

**Count-zechs00: **Taka Suraiso translates to Hawk Slice. I'm going to describe the technique in detail in a later chapter.

**Jinchuriki94: **Excellent point. I couldn't think of another word, but luckily, **Jaxley** helped me out. He will be blending Bushido(way of the samurai) and Nindo (way of the ninja).

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"Hawk. Owl."

Two ANBU appear in swirls of leaves behind the Weasel ANBU. "Deliver these Chunin to Ibiki, and clean up the mess."

"Hai," they reply promptly.

"Naruto-kun, Minamoto-san, follow me." The Weasel-masked ANBU takes off with Naruto and Koken following.

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"Hey Jiji!!!"

The shout that echoed through the Hokage's office brings a smile to one Hiruzen Sarutobi, better known as the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha. Said Hokage is busy signing important documents and smoking his pipe. He puts down the pipe down and looks up to see Naruto bounding into his office. He notes with surprise that Naruto is followed not only by the 14 year old Itachi Uchila, the ANBU whom he had sent to escort Naruto safely, but an old man who is dressed in a manner similar to - _A samurai? The Daimyo never sent word of samurai coming to Konoha… and he isn't dressed like the Samurai from the other countries, so he must be a ronin. _

He returns his gaze to Naruto, who has found the comfy spot in one of the chairs, and asks, "Who is this, Naruto?" Naruto smiles widely and is about to reply when the samurai interrupts.

"I can introduce myself, kid. The name is Koken Minamoto." Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly. "And I suppose you are Jiji, eh?" Koken smirks, chuckling.

Sarutobi laughs. "I suppose I am to Naruto." He turns to the third occupant in the room, silently standing by the window. "Now, Weasel, why did you decide to bring Minamoto-san in?" Itachi turns to face the Hokage.

"20 minutes ago, Naruto was attacked by three Leaf Chunin after following Minamoto-san into the woods." Sarutobi's eyes widen and he gives Naruto a glance-over. Naruto feels uncomfortable with the scrutiny as Itachi continues, "I saw the Chunin behaving suspiciously a few minutes earlier, so I followed them. I arrived when he told Naruto to run and killed one Chunin. One of the remaining Chunin split off to follow Naruto, and I chased after him, managing to keep him from harming Naruto. I trapped the Chunin in a genjutsu, and Minamoto-san arrived, having taken care of the other Chunin. I sent my squad to clean up the mess and take the survivor to Ibiki after persuading Minamoto-san to come with us."

"Persuaded, my ass. More like threatened me to come," Koken mutters, ignoring the rebuking glance Sarutobi sends him.

"Thank you, Weasel. Wait outside until I call you in," Sarutobi says. Itachi nods and walks out of the office, closing the door.

Naruto looks over at Koken, eyes wide in shock. "You killed the them?" he asks in a quiet whisper.

"I had to, kid. At that moment, it was kill or be killed," Koken replied. _I_ am _sorry you had to hear what I did, though_.

Sarutobi interrupted the moment, not only wanting to distract Naruto, but to figure out the samurai. "If I may ask, Minamoto-san, why are you in Fire Country in the first place?"

Koken waved his hand dismissively. "Long story, Hokage, and I don't feel like telling it. I have been wandering the Elemental Nations for about a year now, ever since I became a Ronin, doing mercenary work for the occasional hiring person." The Hokage smiles, about to reply when Naruto interrupts him, a smile on his face.

"Hold on!" Naruto shouts. "You said a while ago that you don't have a kage, right? Why not work for Jiji, he'll give you a job right?" Koken rolls his eyes, smiling despite himself as he sweeps his hand over his forehead. "Kid, even if he had a need for a samurai, he's obligated to turn to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire for them, so he can't hire me. Not to mention, I'm a samurai, which is very different from a ninja." At Naruto's confused look, Koken elaborates, "You see, a samurai is a swordsman from the south. Most of you guys up here are taught Nindo, while the south is Bushido; and before you ask, bushido is the code of the samurai. Basically, a samurai is a trained warrior specializing in swords that follows a code of conduct and serves a lord. I'm a ronin, which is a samurai without a lord to serve. It's completely different from what you're used to and takes many years to master, trust me."

Seeing Naruto deep in thought, processing the information he just heard, Koken smiles sadly. _Besides, the Daimyo wouldn't hire a ronin like me for his guard anyway. Not after what I did… _Naruto frowns for a moment before looking back up.

"Does that mean you take jobs from anyone?" Naruto asks, his face scrunched into his patented 'Naruto-thinking face.' The samurai smile fades as he becomes thoroughly suspicious of the young boy. "Yeah…"

Naruto's face breaks into a bright foxy grin "Perfect. I wanna hire you for a job." Sarutobi's jaw drops as he hears Naruto's words, as he inwardly smirks. _I have a feeling I know what he'll be asking for... The kid's practically reading my mind._

Silence reigns in the Hokage's office as no one says anything. Finally, Koken looks at Naruto with a serious expression. "What would this job be, and what's the pay?" he asks.

Naruto pauses for a moment, surprised that Koken isn't refusing directly, and in fact is asking what he wants. _I gotta keep him here, he'll be my friend if I get him to stay… _"Umm… teach me to be a samurai!" Sarutobi's eyes widen in surprise. He wasn't expecting that. "Yeah, and you can live at my apartment as pay! You said earlier that you don't have anywhere to stay!" He tries to keep his mask of confidence up, but Koken can see through it.

Sarutobi interrupts, giving Naruto a serious look. "Naruto, you aren't considering throwing away your ninja career, are you?"

"No way, Jiji!" Naruto cries out. "It's not as though I can't learn both Bukido and Ninjutsu. I'm going to be the future Hokage! If it's going to help me, I'll learn it!" Sarutobi sighs secretly, relaxing. _I was worried for a second, there. _

_Damn kid, why did I decide to humor him? _Koken looks over at Sarutobi. "You have any objections to this, Hokage?" Sarutobi smirks, shaking his head. "I have no problem with you teaching Naruto Bushido. He doesn't begin the ninja training at the Academy for another eight months." _You're not getting any help getting out of this Minamoto_.

Koken buries his head in his hands, before giving Naruto a serious look. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? You've seen how people have treated me here, you sure you want more hatred than what you've already told me about?"

Naruto thinks for a moment, shrugging_. It's not as though they can hate me anymore than they do right now_. He nods furiously, and Koken sighs heavily.

"Fine." _Damn kid, I can't believe I'm agreeing to do this._ "You put a roof over my head, and I'll teach you all I know about Bushido. We'll start by learning the basics of kenjutsu and having you memorize the codes of Bushido before you start at the Academy. I don't know any Ninjutsu, so you'll have to figure out a way to blend the two styles together on your own. Agreed?" He holds out his hand.

Naruto stands there in shock for a moment, before breaking into a wide grin. He shakes Koken's hand quickly before tackling him with a large hug, "Yes! Thank you, Thank you, thank you!!!! You just wait and see, I'll learn this Bushido thing easy."

Koken's eyes widen at Naruto's reaction, gently pushing the young blonde off. "First off, it's 'Easily.' Secondly, don't think this will be easy. It takes years to learn and decades to master…" He was cut off by Naruto.

"NANI???" Naruto yells, his jaw hitting the floor.

Koken smacks his own forehead, yelling, "You think this is easy, brat? It's as tough as your Ninjutsu!"

"Shut up, old man! What do you know? I bet I'll have this Bushido stuff down in a year!" Naruto yells back.

Both Koken and Sarutobi smile at Naruto's spirit. Koken pulls a scroll from his belt and tosses it to Naruto. "Let's see how long you can keep that attitude up, Naruto. Practice starts tomorrow at 5am sharp. Learn the stuff in this scroll by then. It's the basic philosophy of Bushido."

Sarutobi chuckles. "Actually, since Minamoto-san--" he begins before being interrupted by Koken. "Koken, Hokage… I won't stand for stuffy formality if I'm going to be here for a while, you old geezer." Sarutobi's eye twitches. _He looks older than I do and he calls me an old geezer?? _"Very well. Since _Koken _wants you to memorize the Bushido code, I want to see him regarding some paperwork, tomorrow. For now, both of you should get some rest."

They both nod and walk out of the office. As they leave, Naruto bounds out, dragging Koken to his apartment.

---------------------

"Well, what did you think of that, Itachi?" Sarutobi chuckles. "Little Naruto training to be both a ninja and a samurai. That should shake things up at the Academy."

The young ANBU enters the Hokage's office through the open window, closing it and removing his mask. Sarutobi sees the edges of Itachi's mouth twitching upward to form a tiny smile. "I was surprised when Naruto-kun tricked the samurai into teaching him. Indeed, if he trains hard, my little brother might have a rival at the Ninja Academy next year."

"Ah, yes. How is young Sasuke?" asks Sarutobi, reaching for where he put down his pipe, lighting up again.

"He is doing well, and is bugging me to teach him some jutsu already." Itachi's tiny smile fades as he remembers what happened after he had taken Sasuke home. "Hokage-sama, I have something new to report regarding the Uchila clans plot to arrange a coup d'etat."

Sarutobi's eyes grow a little harder, and his easygoing smile fading from his face as smoke billows around him. "Report, Itachi."

Itachi nods. "As you know, the Clan Elders aren't very happy about your relocation of the clan, and interpret it as a sign that Madara Uchila's warnings years ago were correct. They've recently learned about Danzo's personal ANBU squad, Ne. They're taking it as evidence that your peaceful intentions are not as peaceful or truthful as you've made them out to be." Itachi spoke calmly and without emotion as he reported intelligence he gathered from his father. Becoming a double agent against his own family was hard, but he was willing to do that to ensure that this didn't trigger another Ninja War.

Sarutobi's eyes harden, and he spits his pipe out of his mouth as he curses. _Damn you, Danzo. You're actions will be the death of a clan. _Itachi's eyes widen. Even when he had first approached the Hokage to alert him of the Uchila clan's plan, Sarutobi never swore. Itachi feels a chill run through him. "Hokage-sama?"

"Itachi, I'm close to being overruled by the Council. This is my final attempt at peace, which Danzo certainly wants to fail. Even Homura and Koharu are loosing faith, and I suspect are ready to stand with Danzo. If it fails… if I'm overruled, I don't think I can do anything to stop a war from occurring." Itachi feels his insides clench at the thought of his family being exterminated by Danzo's men. _And Danzo would do it, too. He would stand there and watch as the Uchila were exterminated without batting his scarred eye. Why can't Father recognize the foolishness of this coup d'etat? _

Sarutobi reaches into his desk drawer, removing a folder. He studies Itachi's face as he says, "Earlier today, Fugaku requested an B-Rank mission for you and Shisui. Why did he come to me to request it?"

_Father requested a mission for Shisui and I? Why hasn't he told me about it? _Confused, Itachi states, "I didn't know about this, he hasn't discussed this with me."

The Hokage sighs heavily. "Shisui… he's your best friend, isn't he?" Itachi nods, keeping his face blank. "The only thing I can think of is that he wants you out of the village. I'll have extra ANBU on patrol, but I have a bad feeling about this…"

Itachi nods. _I have a bad feeling about this too… something isn't right. Maybe Shisui can tell me. _"I'll gather more information, Hokage-sama." Sarutobi nods. "Dismissed, Itachi." Itachi places his mask back on and Shunshins away.


	3. Training and Celebrating

Hi everyone, chaosakatsuki here. I'm sorry for the long delay in updating. This chapter took forever to write up, but as an added bonus, it's twice as long as my last two chapters. Thanks to everyone for the reviews for the last chapter, they were great motivation as I struggled to write this chapter.

Another important thing I need is a new beta. My current beta, Jaxley, is starting senior year in high school and won't have as much time as she used to. So if anyone is willing, or can refer a really good beta to me, please message me for details.

So enjoy the Third Chapter of Naruto: Kitsuneken of the Leaf.

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"Again!!!" barks Koken Minamoto loudly.

Naruto's face had become quite acquainted with the ground in the last few minutes. He looks up at his evil taskmaster, a smirking old man wielding a wooden sword.

"Are you remembering anything that I've taught you in the past 8 months, Naruto? Or did that last baby tap knock it all out of your head?" taunts Koken.

Naruto growls, remembering…

_----------- Flashback, 6 weeks ago--------------_

_A frustrated young blond and an old man stand in a small clearing in the midst of the forest, the same place where they had met. "C'mon, old man!" Naruto yells loudly. "Teach me something cool!!"_

_An irate Koken Minamoto stands there, convincing himself not to snap the kid's neck. He settles for tapping his head with his sword, ignoring the indignant "Owwww!!" that follows._

"_Look kid, while you're training with me, you call me Koken-sensei. Got it?" At Naruto's irritated nod, he continues, "You don't even know how to handle a sword and you want me to teach you some fancy technique. You gotta prioritize, Naruto: First, you've got to get used to your weapon. Remember that it's your life." Naruto certainly did remember. He had spent all of the past day and a good part of the night memorizing the samurai code and history._

"_Alright, so take this…" Koken tosses a wooden sword at Naruto,_ _"and I'll teach you some basic Kenjutsu moves." Naruto can't help but grin. He catches the sword with one hand, then, almost falling over at the weight, holds it with both hands._

"_Oy, this is way too heavy, Koken-sensei!" The five year old blond struggles to hold the sword upright. It is made of wood, but there is a plug at the end of the hilt. Before he can look closely, he hears the old man chuckling._

"_Of course it is, it's a training bokuden I made myself. I filled it with sand earlier: the end has a hole where you can fill it. It's the best way to gain muscle strength in your arms as you get used to the feel of your weapon! Once I feel you have a good grasp on the art, I'll give you a real bokuden and we can begin the actual training." He walks over to the boy, correcting Naruto's stance and how he holds the sword. "Alright, kid, come at me."_

"_Hehe, you got it, Koken-sensei." Naruto charges like a bull at the senior. Flailing like a blindfolded child attacking a piñata, the young blonde never notices the graceful, subtle moves his elderly mentor makes in response to his assault. Getting frustrated, Naruto slices with an overhead chop. Koken sighs and slams the head of his bokuden into Naruto's exposed stomach, driving the air out of his lungs. His student doubles over, coughing and sputtering._

"_Don't get so mad, kid. You've got to be calm and collected during battle if you ever want to be a samurai OR a ninja. If you get mad during battle, you start making mistakes. Those mistakes can cost you your life: remember, you can get mad and frustrated when the fight's over. It's the way of the samurai, you have to separate the two attitudes." Koken helps his winded student to his feet before taking up the stance again. "Now, calm down and try to hit me." Naruto breathes deeply before taking up the same stance, this time without guidance. Koken and Naruto stare at each other for a few moments before the young blonde yells and thrusts the bokuden at his sensei. Koken smiles, and knocks the blade aside, but Naruto whips the sword back around and makes his sensei actually stop the blow. Kokens smile grows wider before he slides his blade down and raps the boys hand hard enough to make Naruto drop his bokuden._

"_Oww!! That's cheating, Koken-sensei!!" Naruto whines as he shakes his sore hand in the air. He narrows his eyes at his grinning sensei._

"_Not at all. You have to watch for those things like that to make sure a less than honorable opponent doesn't do the same. Understand, hardly anyone you're going to fight against in your entire life will play by the 'rules' of combat. You have to learn to deal with people like that so you don't end up dead." He stops and ruffles the boys head. "You did better that time, though, I actually had to block you attack." Naruto smiled before puffing out his chest._

"_Of course you did! I'm the great Naruto Uzuma… OWW!" He is stopped mid-boast due to the blunt end of a bokuden impacting against his head again._

"_Don't get cocky, kid. You've got a long way to go to become a samurai. Right now you're not anything other than a kid with a stick." Koken chides. "Now that I know what you can do, let's run through your first basic kata."_

_---------------End Flashback ----------------_

_Of course! _Naruto realizes. _I'm getting angry again. _An hour ago, Koken had told him he wanted to test his skills again. Naruto had gotten excited and was determined to kick his sensei's ass. However, in the past 10 minutes, Koken had proven that despite Naruto's incredible progress in sword skills, he was still severely outclassed by the older samurai. Koken had also been ignoring him as he deflected Naruto's blows with ease… _He's been testing my temper, seeing if I'll lose my calm. No wonder I've been taken apart so easily. _Naruto struggles to his feet, picking up his bokuden and entering the battle stance. _But I'm not giving up._

_Heh, seems like he's finally getting it. _Koken smirks. "Are you finally taking this seriously, brat?" He resumes his stance.

The young blonde's cerulean eyes flash, but he displays a foxy grin at his sensei. "Hehe, I haven't forgotten anything you've taught me." Naruto rushes his sensei, sweeping his katana quickly. Koken is forced to block the attacks this time, smiling at the improvement his student is showing. The elderly man swings his katana at Naruto, expecting him to block. Instead, Naruto ducks, swinging his katana at Koken's legs. Koken barely manages to jump in time. _Impressive. _Koken is even more shocked when Naruto turns his sweep upward, forcing the elder samurai to react quickly in order to block. _Now __**that**__ was impressive, I didn't even teach him that move. _As he lands, Koken jumps back in order to avoid any more conflicts.

"Very good, Naruto. You managed to calm down and use your head. That last move you did actually made me take you seriously, how'd you come up with it?" Naruto grins, breathing heavily.

"I noticed that every kata you've taught me is meant to guard or attack against opponents who are essentially fighting upright the whole time, instead of bending down or changing their posture. So I decided to attack at a different level, knowing that it would be harder to block. I also knew that I had only one chance to catch you off guard, so I did it when you attacked me." Koken's eyebrows raise. _Wow, he discovered one of the flaws of the basic kenjutsu style and managed to come up with a strategy to exploit it. Maybe once he starts the Academy I should start showing him that style…_

"Very good thinking, Naruto. You did manage to catch me off guard, and if you had been faster, I might not have been able to block it. You've been improving a lot since I first starting teaching you, and I'm proud of your progress." Naruto beams at the praise. "In fact, since we've still got a couple weeks until the Academy, I'll be teaching you a samurai technique."

Koken waits for Naruto's cheers to die down before he continues. "This type of technique is called a Battojutsu, or the Art of Drawing the Sword. It can only be used at the beginning of the battle, when you first draw your blade out of your sheath. Tomorrow, we'll get some weights to start the training. For now, though, let's get home and rest up." Koken sheathes his bokuden and motions for Naruto to follow.

"Yes, Koken-sensei," Naruto replies. Falling in step behind his sensei, he asks, "What's this technique called, Koken-sensei?"

"Well, you should remember this technique. It's the one technique I've used in front of you. It's called the Taka Suraiso, or the Hawk Slice…"

---------------------------------

And so the days pass for the village of Konoha. The next few weeks go by quickly as Naruto advances in his training. It is now on the eve of his enrollment in the Ninja Academy that we find him and his sensei.

"Alright! Tomorrow I finally start being a ninja!" yells a hyper Naruto. It has been 8 weeks since his unofficial guardian, Koken Minamoto, joined him. The old man has become more of a grandfather than an employee to the young blond. Naruto had been training with weights for two weeks, and managed to learn the Battojutsu that the elder ronin had taught him faster than either of them had predicted. In a few more weeks, Koken would begin teaching him chakra control, which would put him several months ahead of his classmates. All of that was forgotten today, however, for this was the day before he headed off for full-time ninja training.

"A ninja eh? Already tired of trying to become a samurai, are we?" asks the old man between a gulp of root beer. He hadn't been able to get any real booze since he had been thrown out of the bar, and had no desire to return for a second try. _It's such a poor substitute for the real thing. Oh, the things I deal with because of this brat_… He thinks affectionately.

"No, I like the whole samurai thing. Bushido's a good philosophy and I plan on using my samurai training first and foremost." Naruto says as he slurps Ichiraku takeout. The training had been rough for the young blond. He still has his weighted bokuden, bracers, several kata's as well as the Battojutsu under his belt. What else would one expect from someone who spends almost every waking moment practicing? Even Koken has trouble keeping up. He enjoys the time the young boy spends at school each day; it is his only time to rest and recover. Every other moment is taken up with training. Now that his charge is going off to the Ninja Academy, he is sure it will take-up a large amount of the blonde's energy, giving Koken more time to rest.

"Good to hear. Now, what's your plan to mix the two styles?" He refers to Naruto's goal of using both samurai and ninja training. Although he had never tried it, others had… and had failed miserably.

"Well, I'd think that Kenjutsu would classify as a kinda Taijutsu or something. I'd use it to attack and use Ninjutsu for the long range stuff and other skills." Naruto replies as he starts on another bowl. Koken nods, impressed.

"Interesting… that might work, kid. It's not like the Kenjutsu style I'll be teaching you doesn't have long range attacks though. Ninjutsu would definitely help with stealth and getting out of tight spots. It should also give you a wider variety of attacks to use. Some ninja techniques are pretty good." Koken snatches up a pair of chopsticks and is about to tackle his own takeout, sushi, before remembering.

"Oh yeah, it's time to open presents, Naruto." Koken says as he pulls out a long box from its hiding place under the couch. Smiling, he sets the heavy box down on the table that he and his student are sitting at.

"All RIGHT!! Thanks, sensei!" Naruto yells before ripping into the wrapping paper. Wrapped up is a polished box of dark wood; it has a hawk carved into the wood with the symbols for "Speed" and "Power" carved beneath it. Blinking, Naruto looks at Koken for a moment before opening the top of the box and nearly falling over. Inside is a polished wooden bokuden. About 4 feet in length, it has a black handle with the same hawk design carved into it. On the bottom of the hilt is the symbol for "Reliability" also carved into it. Naruto takes it out of its box and draws into a combat stance once he gets up from the table. It weighs much less than his training bokuden. Without a doubt, it is the nicest thing he owns.

"Hope you like that, kiddo. That was my first katana I ever owned. You'll get a real one when I 'graduate' you and deem you a proper samurai; until then, this will be your weapon. It's lasted me over 60 years and hasn't chipped once, so I don't think you can hurt it. It's called 'Hogo', which means 'Protection.' This sword will protect you as you train and grow, until you finally earn your first real sword, so take care of it." Koken sees that the kid likes it. Naruto is still staring at the hilt of the sword when a knock on the door startles them both.

"What the? I never have visitors…" Curious, Naruto places Hogo back in its case and heads over to the door. "Oy, what do you… want?" Standing on the other side of the door is none other than the Sandaime Hokage. "Hello, Naruto. Having a nice celebration?"

"Hey Jiji!! What are you doing here?" Naruto says, startled. The six year old darts forward to give Sarutobi a hug, happily motioning for the elderly Hokage to come in.

"I can't stay for long, I'm afraid. I merely came by to wish you luck at the academy tomorrow and to give you a present." Naruto lights up at the mention of another present.

"Ah, it's alright. You're a busy guy so it must be a hassle to even get time to see me as it is."

The Sandaime blinks. _Since when did Naruto start to think things through?_

"Ah, yes, it's as you say. How has your training been coming?" Sarutobi asks. Naruto smiles brightly, puffing up his chest in pride.

"It's been great!! Koken-sensei taught me a really cool move, and I got a new bokuden today," brags Naruto. Sandaime's eyes widen. _He knows a Samurai technique already? I thought Koken said he wasn't going to teach him that until after he started the Academy…_

_---------- Flashback: 8 Weeks Ago -----------_

_The Hokage's desk is littered with papers. From Mission Requests, Budget Approvals, and messages from kids in the Ninja Academy, it all tends to pile up. Just recently, a rarely seen type of paper was seen on the Sandaime's desk: a citizenship request. Even stranger was that Sarutobi had filled most of it out himself. Now Sarutobi is sitting at his desk, waiting for the arrival of Konohagakure's newest resident samurai, Koken Minamoto._

"_Yo, Hokage." The aforementioned samurai opens the doors and steps through into the office. Koken looks very different after a good night's rest and shower at Naruto's apartment. He even uses his own katana as a walking stick: Sarutobi can see how easily the old man can blend into a crowd. "You wanted to see me about some… paperwork, I believe?"_

"_Ahh yes, Koken. Please have a seat." The Hokage answers, gesturing to the chair as he searches his desk for the other document. Sarutobi is surprised when Koken ignores the offer of a chair, instead coming closer to the Hokage's desk. His dark, onyx eyes grow steely as he gazes at one of the most powerful ninja in history without an ounce of fear._

"_However, I have something more important to talk to you about that isn't paperwork." Koken growls vehemently. "Regarding my employer. He told me when I first met him that his teachers won't teach him anything, and that everyone calls him a 'monster' or a 'demon.' I assumed he was exaggerating, so I ignored it yesterday. However, when we both returned to his apartment yesterday, it was trashed, vandalized, and graffiti was all over the walls." Sarutobi's eyes react in surprise. "And Naruto took it without batting an eye about it. It was as if it was a commonplace occurrence for him." _

"_So tell me, Sandaime__**. **__Is there anything you want to tell me about my employer that I'm not privy to?" Koken asks. Sarutobi can almost see little lightning bolts crackling around the old samurai. Sarutobi sighs heavily, placing his head in his hands._

"_I guess there's no point in lying to you, Koken. Please sit down." Sarutobi says with enough authority in his voice to make it a demand rather than a request. Koken walks back to the chair and sits, waiting. "Have you ever heard of the Kyuubi no Kitsune?" Sarutobi notes the look Koken shoots at him as_ _the words came out of his mouth. _So, this man is more well-traveled than I had believed...

"_You mean that demon fox that was raising hell around this area a few years ago? I've heard of him." Koken says once he regains his composure._

"_Yes, well, the fox had come here with the intention of destroying this village. Our Hokage at the time, my successor, thought it was necessary to seal the demon as we could not kill it. Of course, he had to use a live vassal to do it with..." Koken rubs his temple as it dawns on him, the gears turning. Koken had been pretty upset when he had first seen it, but now he understands the anger. He didn't think it was right, but he understood it._

"_So that's it, you sealed it in that kid. That's why everyone hates him, eh?" Sarutobi nods. Koken sighs. "Ugh, I'm getting too old for this shit. I really don't care if the kid's a demon or not, nor does it effect his training. He hired me for a job and I'll keep teaching him no matter what. That job includes the protection of the hiring party as well." The Sandaime smiles slightly, much more relaxed as he hears Koken express those sentiments. _Finally, a person who doesn't hate him for what he carries, who won't desert his side after learning his secret_. He smiles as he finds the paperwork he was searching for earlier. _That will certainly make this easier_._

"_Speaking of protecting him, this is the paperwork I want you to fill out, Koken." Sarutobi passes over the paperwork he had finished earlier to Koken. Koken's eyes widen as he reads the titles: "Citizenship" and "Legal Guardian Adoption." _

_The Hokage clears his throat and begins his explanation, "ANBU are deployed to protect Naruto on a regular basis. The council believes that this is a wasteful venture to invest the ANBU in, yet when a few clans and I had attempted to adopt Naruto in the past, the council refused to allow it on the basis that it would place too much power in the clans' hands. Even when I proposed to have civilians adopt Naruto, no one would take up the responsibility of watching over the Fox's vessel. However, I am tired of denying Naruto protection, so I will go over the council's head in this instance and give you citizenship in order to legally be Naruto's guardian."_

"_Are you sure, Hokage? It's pretty bold, but they might be twice as likely to hit the apartment because I'm a samurai." Koken warned._

"_That's true, but you can protect Naruto and handle yourself. And they'll be scared more by a samurai who can actually defend himself than they'll be scared of a 5-year old, no?" Sarutobi replied._

_Koken looks over both of the forms, and nods, signing them both. He slides the pen and paper back over to Sarutobi, who stamps them and makes them official._

"_Alright, now about you training him to be a samurai. What kind of lessons will you be teaching him before he enters the Ninja Academy?"_

"_I can't tell you all of that, Hokage. There are some secrets that should never fall into the hands of enemies, even if the war between Samurai and Ninja ended a century ago. I can tell you that he won't be learning anything regarding how to draw chakra just yet." _

"_In that case, I'm going to have to send ANBU" At Koken's protest, Sarutobi explains, "You're going to have to give me a good reason to not have ANBU supervise you. After all, I can bypass Danzo with the guardianship, but if I'm not careful he'll override me. I can't drop the guard, even if I do trust you, unless I have an excellent reason." Koken moans. He runs his fingers through his white beard and thinks about how much he should tell the elderly Hokage._

"_Look, you should be able to relax for this time up until the Academy, alright? I only plan on teaching him the basic kata's of Kenjutsu. I'm also going to teach him the concept behind the art of drawing the sword, or Battojutsu, before and after he learns to mold chakra. Look, I'll even write you up monthly reports on his progress if you give me this little bit of slack, will that do…?"_

_---------------End Flashback ----------------_

… _It must be a Battojutsu technique he taught him. Interesting, I thought he was only going to teach him the concept_. Noticing that Naruto is staring at him oddly, Sarutobi realizes that he must have zoned out.

"Ah, that's wonderful, Naruto-kun. You start at the Academy tomorrow, correct? I think you'll like your teacher. Iruka is always a favorite of the students." The Third smiles at Naruto before handing him a gift bag. "Unfortunately, I have to be going. I hope these things are to your taste. Have a good first day at the Academy, Naruto." With a puff of smoke, the Sandaime Hokage disappears_. Dang, I really wish I knew how he did that... _Naruto closes the door and turns around to see Koken leaning against the entrance to the dining room.

"So, what'd you get, kid?" Koken asks, gesturing with his chopsticks at the package.

Naruto shrugs and opens the bag. He pulls out a headband, a set of weighted bracers, dark blue pants that would come down past the knees, a blue vest with fishnet sleeves, and a new kunai and shuriken holster. Koken looks it all over and whistles.

"That old guy has some taste. The bracers are especially nice, they'll be much more flexible when your fighting than your regular weights." He says as he looks them over.

"Wow, this is so cool, two presents in one. I wonder how he knew I needed a kunai pouch, though?"_ Naruto thought aloud._

"_Eh, he's the Hokage, right? It's his job to know. More importantly, you need to go to sleep early tonight, right? Big day tomorrow." He knows that the Hokage had given him the pouch because during the last training report he had told him how Naruto had had trouble buying his supplies for the Ninja Academy. Koken was confident that Sarutobi would want to help with that._

"_Yeah, I guess. I don't wanna fall asleep in class the first day." Naruto replies with a foxy grin. After a celebratory last cup of ramen, the blonde samurai-in-training gathers up his birthday presents and lays them next to his bed for tomorrow, dreaming of becoming Hokage..._


End file.
